Everything You Need to Know About Shulk's Monado Arts

It's far too often that I see people (specifically commentators) who have no idea what effects are given off by Shulk's Monado Arts. Shulk's entire game plan will usually revolve around the special move, so it's important to know what you're talking about if you're going to be playing/fighting/spectating/commentating Shulk. This map won't be going extremely in-depth, but it should be enough to grasp an understanding of each art's abilities. Without further ado, let's get the guide going!

Monado Jump's Strengths:

The art improves Shulk's air game in every sense. He jumps higher, he moves around faster, and becomes a fast-faller. He can get almost anywhere he needs to be much quicker.

This art is a fantastic tool for camping. Shulk can move around faster than many characters, and his airdodge can slip up, down, and all around to make him extremely evasive.

Jump makes Shulk's aerials safer on shield. This is due to the fact that his increased airspeed allows him to gain more distance from his opponents before landing, which makes it harder for opponents to punish. Short-hop Forward Air can even be jumped out of before being made to land.

Shulk's offstage game improves greatly in Jump, from both ends. The added mobility can put Shulk in great positions for gimping opponents, and it can do so very quickly. On the flip side, his recovery is boosted greatly, giving him an easier time escaping his opponent's gimp attempts. This is due to the increased jump height, and the extra height added to Air Slash.

Jump art gives Shulk access to Monado Purge. Monado Purge is a deadly 50/50 in the form of Up Throw -> Up Air. It can kill extremely early, particularly so with rage.

Monado Jump's Weaknesses:

Getting comboed in Jump art is a nightmare. Shulk takes far more damage in Jump, and he also becomes a fast-faller. Combine this with the fact that he doesn't have any quick aerials, and he has a very tough time escaping strings.

Although his knockback stats are not changed directly, he can occasionally lose stocks earlier in Jump. This is explained in the Misconceptions tab below.

Misconceptions To Clear Up:

Jump art does not make Shulk any lighter/heavier. However, the fact that he takes more damage in Jump can affect the formula for knockback calculation. As a result, he does take a slight bit more knockback in Jump. However, the key word here is slight.